Unexpected turns of God
We find the unexpected unpleasant. We don't like it when our car unexpectedly won't start or our computer suddenly crashes. It's even worse when we unexpectedly lose our job, with all the uncertainty and loss of self-confidence that comes with it. Health problems that arise suddenly are particularly terrible. That's just life. We learn to cope with frustration and pain.
Unexpected events aren't always negative. A surprise gift or a raise can quickly turn a bad day into a good one. You probably fondly recall an unexpected blessing, big or small, that you've experienced. So, a question arises: What can we expect from God? Is he full of surprises?
The Bible provides an answer to this question in Psalm 107, one we might not expect. It shows us a God who does not change and yet is full of surprising deeds. There it says: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and for the wonderful things he does for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 10).7,8-9).
The psalm tells how God can transform fertile land into a desolate wasteland when evil reigns there. It also describes how God causes springs to spring up from parched soil so that hungry people can live there. They build a city, cultivate fields, plant vines, and harvest abundantly.
It is striking that the author speaks of the Lord's constant love and connects this constantness with dramatic reversals. It seems as if the Lord is consistently capable of doing the unexpected. Have you, dear reader, read the entire passage and noticed the direction of these unexpected turns? These unexpected turns always lead to good. We can trust that the rivers of evil will dry up, while the deserts will become fertile.
With God, there is only ever good news. Rivers dry up, but He refills them with water. He transforms deserts into bubbling springs. Sinners become believers and followers of Christ. We tend to focus on the world's misery and become discouraged. That is why Jesus calls us to lift our eyes and look to Him. He is the one who restores everything. He is the one who often bestows His blessing in unexpected ways.
As the year draws to a close, let us continually turn our gaze to Jesus and learn to expect the unexpected from him. No one anticipated that the King of Kings would come into our world in the way he did. God loves to surprise us in unexpected ways; it is part of the mystery of who he is. Jesus is the unexpected Messiah!
from Greg Williams
